Fading of the Last Centra
by Aemys
Summary: The tragedy of Aeris's death, from her own point of view.


Fading of the Last Centra  
  
The pink-dressed lady stepped firmly on the ground, her eyes looking up to the place before her. The paths intertwiled, the forest hidded a part of the building where she would go, and the sunset covered all her vision with a gold glow. She took a big breath before resuming her walk. She could feel a small breeze against her skin, along with her own body moving the air around her.   
  
Aeris looked right before her, her eyes locked in her destination. She slowly passed the ruins of the Centra village, and made her way through the forest. Although she knew it was only a question of time before Sephiroth could find her, she didn't wanted to haste herself. Something inside her, a premonition of some sort, knew it would be her last walk outside. Knew it would be her last time feeling the cold and sweet breeze of the wind.  
  
Knew she would never get to see him again.  
  
So she waited.She sat down, removed her boots and dived her small feet on the calm water. Staring right at the middle of the lake, she concentrates on Cloud, trying to find him amound all the souls of the Planet. Finally, she connected to his mind. She smiled. He was still uncounscious. It would be easier this way. On her own mind, she pictured the Sleeping Forest, which shields the village. Then, she connected to his thoughts, and loaded the pictures on his mind.   
  
She felt Cloud's reaction. Hardly hear him trying to conviced her to come back to him. But she nodded negatively, with so much forces, that it reached the dream she made him had. Then, she smiled for a last time, her mind crying the words "Good bye."   
  
Aeris then tried to passed on to Cloud a strong feeling of security and understanding, but she suddently lost the connection. Her head hurted for a bit, making her vision all fuzzy. Then, a shadow grabbed her mind, and two green eyes appears inside her thoughts.  
  
"Found you." was all she heard, on a cold tone she knew too well.  
  
Aeris quickly looked away from the water. The eyes slowly faded from her mind, as she reconnected with the outside. Her senses reappeared, she felt the grass below her hands, the small waves hitting her legs. Looking up to the sky, she noticed it has darken. Her eyes then catched the full moon.  
  
It was time.  
  
******  
  
The long stairs shown gently. Aeris walk on them, and just before disseapearing in the darkness, she looked up to the hole she had come from. She then turned back and continued her way.  
  
The stairs were the only thing that lighten her path to the heart of the village. Everything else was covered with darkness. After a long way down, she found herself on the secret place her ancestors had built. She took some minutes to detailled the place, smiling of such beauty and serenity, all concentrated on a same room.   
  
Strangely, she felt like home.  
  
Aeris walked to the edge of the room, her steps echoing on the wall, breaking a dense silence of hundred of years old. The water below reflected the calm light of the stairs, as if the sky has crashed before her feet.  
  
"This is it."she thought. "This...is for life."  
  
She hopped gracefully to the first pillar, then to the second, then the last. One of her wrist fell from her arm into water as she reachs the small plate bathed in a chanting light. Her eyes filled with sadness when as her mind wandered, thinking about Cloud, and all of her friends. She also thought of her adoptive mother. A smile lighten her face.  
  
"This is for you all."  
  
She turned quickly, facing the pillars, and kneeled down. She intertwiled her hands, and closed her eyes. Her mind slowly opened to all of the Planet. All of her thoughts left, and all of the world, every place she had travelled to, every location she had been, every part of the nature took place in her mind. Then, all of the animals appears. She could fly with the birds, swing with the whales, jumped in the trees with chimpazees. And then, all of the people of the world gathered inside her. She could feel what every person was feeling, all in the same time.  
  
Then she reached the voices of the dead. The voices of the Planet. She tried to contact them all. She concentrated with all of her will. Her pray grew stronger and stronger.  
  
And, as the hours passed, she left her body to go to them.  
  
*****  
  
A sound. Close. Very close to her. And yet sort of distant.   
  
Where does it come from?   
  
Another. Closer. A...  
  
A step.  
  
Tifa, yelling. "What are you doing?"  
  
A sword dropped.  
  
Curious, Aeris opened her eyes. She saw Cloud. Cloud was really here, before her! She did saw him another time! Maybe...maybe life would continue for her too. Maybe she would be able to joined her friends once again, when her pray would be over. Once the voices would have understand what she needed them to do.  
  
Yes. She will travel some more with Cloud. A smile appears on her lips, growing until it covers all of her face. Slowly, to be sure not to lose the connection, she tried to whisper his name. But his face shown nothing but terror.  
  
"Why...?" she thought, before an incredible pain made her lost the connection. Something...cold...had stabbed her. Cold...and...  
  
it...it is...  
  
She didn't knew anymore. All she knew was pain, an horrifying pain spreading to all her body. Her face lost her quiet look.   
  
Blood. She felt blood on her stomack.  
  
She lost the control of her body, and fell to the ground. Her vision faded.  
  
The last thing she heard was Cloud screaming. Along with a contented laugh.  
  
...or maybe not...  
  
*****  
  
All is life. All is breathing. Every of the living come and go, as she travelled to them. She is with the Voices. She is one of them. She won't stop praying. Not now. Not until she is completely assured that the Planet, and all of her friends, are safe. 


End file.
